keeping warm inside out: a quick and simple soup
With all this cold weather, hot food is always welcome. Soup? Definitely. I'm usually a fan of hearty, thick soups, especially in the winter, but sometimes I feel like something a little lighter. My favorite thing to order at any Thai restaurant is Tom Yum Goong. Sometimes I would go just for the soup. Spicy and tasting of lemongrass and cilantro, it's an unusual combination that is just so good. It's basically just broth with some mushrooms (barely cooked) and shrimp. I have no idea where there nearest Thai restaurant is around here, but recently when walking through the Asian foods aisle at the big grocery store in the "big city" I discovered this jar of instant soup paste:
The ingredients were good, nothing scary (it does contain msg, but I am not sensitive to it. It also contains shrimp, so it's unsuitable for a vegetarian or someone with a shellfish allergy). Although I usually steer clear of prepared foods, I decided to give this a try. Oh, is it good. The directions are not very exact. The label says to use 2 spoonfuls for every 3 cups of boiling water, but it doesn't specify the size of the spoon. Experiment with amounts so that the broth does not become unbearably spicy. The first time I made the soup I used 3 teaspoons (not measuring spoons) for 6 cups of water and it was almost too hot. Once you find your winning combination, the rest is easy, and very adaptable. Follow the directions and add mushrooms and shrimp. Add cooked noodles or rice. And/or vegetables (stir fry the vegetables and then pour the hot broth over the top). Add a different kind of meat or tofu. The other day I sliced mushrooms and red cabbage,
then poured the broth over them and added a little bit of fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lemon.
Very, very quick and very, very delicious. And it certainly warmed me up!
I hope you're having a good Monday!
The ingredients were good, nothing scary (it does contain msg, but I am not sensitive to it. It also contains shrimp, so it's unsuitable for a vegetarian or someone with a shellfish allergy). Although I usually steer clear of prepared foods, I decided to give this a try. Oh, is it good. The directions are not very exact. The label says to use 2 spoonfuls for every 3 cups of boiling water, but it doesn't specify the size of the spoon. Experiment with amounts so that the broth does not become unbearably spicy. The first time I made the soup I used 3 teaspoons (not measuring spoons) for 6 cups of water and it was almost too hot. Once you find your winning combination, the rest is easy, and very adaptable. Follow the directions and add mushrooms and shrimp. Add cooked noodles or rice. And/or vegetables (stir fry the vegetables and then pour the hot broth over the top). Add a different kind of meat or tofu. The other day I sliced mushrooms and red cabbage,
then poured the broth over them and added a little bit of fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lemon.
Very, very quick and very, very delicious. And it certainly warmed me up!
I hope you're having a good Monday!
Looks good, yummy and inspiring! Thank you for sharing
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